Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher

Chancellor's Message

There is simply nothing like SUNY anywhere else in the world.

To be a part of The State University of New York family—a student, an employee, an alum—means that you are an important part of the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the country. With more than 7,500 degree and certificate programs on 64 campuses, SUNY enrolls nearly a half million students each year from all 50 states and more than 170 countries across the globe. Remarkably, nearly every New Yorker lives within 30 miles of a SUNY campus, and in many communities, SUNY is the largest employer.

As a public university system, SUNY’s core mission is to prepare students for life in the 21st century. This means ensuring all New Yorkers have access to high-quality education and training that develops the skills and knowledge needed to build rewarding careers—from airplane pilots to auto mechanics, engineers to editors, teachers to tech support, surgeons to chefs.

So whether on campus, in the classroom or lab, in an internship, or through Open SUNY—the largest online learning environment in the world—SUNY is pushing the limits to expand education ACCESS, ensure degree COMPLETION, and support student SUCCESS.

But as massive a responsibility as this is, SUNY is so much more.

Because of our system’s vast size, scope, and diversity, SUNY has the power to drive New York’s economic revitalization like no other entity. Not only are we preparing today’s and tomorrow’s skilled workforce, but SUNY has an unmatched ability to create jobs, foster groundbreaking research, discover new technologies, support New York’s health care industry, and strengthen the education pipeline from cradle to career—all while infusing our communities with a vibrancy that contributes to a higher quality of life for all citizens.

To rise to this challenge, SUNY is leveraging its power as a system—something we like to call systemness. Our strategic plan, The Power of SUNY, prioritizes our potential to drive economic growth and have the most profound possible impact on the communities we serve throughout New York and around the world.

To that end, every day SUNY is forging unprecedented collaborations and partnerships with business and industry, government entities, school districts, and the social sector to create a collective impact that we think can inspire the world to action.

I invite you to explore SUNY’s vast library of online resources available to students and families, educators, businesses, media, and more. Your comments, ideas, and questions are always welcome, so feel free to e-mail me at chancellor@suny.edu and join Generation SUNY on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube.